The World
Serntal Serntal is far and away the largest landmass on the planet, approximately 5.6 million square miles in overall area. The continent is considerably longer running east-west than north-south, with an average width of 1,950 miles and an average length of 2,900 miles. The average temperature in the north and west is 40 and 77 degrees Farenheit respectively, 67 in the east, and 81 in the southern parts of the continent. Serntal and the surrounding islands constitute about half of the world's landmass and approximately 17% of its overall surface area. The continent has dozens of islands along all of its coasts, larger islands appearing in southern seas than elsewhere. Serntal is one of two major landmasses, the other being Heridan to the east. About half the continent is dominated by a vast wilderness that remains largely unexplored, which is separated from the eastern half by a massive mountain range. The first people to settle in Serntal were the dwarves, who it is believed originated there. Elves have existed on the continent almost as long as dwarves have, having emigrated from Heridan. The dwarves lived almost exclusively in the Karken Mountains until around 2,000 years ago. The following century saw dwarves expand to all corners of the world and differentiate into new civilizations. Orcs have existed in Serntal for just under 900 years, and Humans appeared 800 years ago; both hailed from the wilderness beyond the Karkens, but Orcs have been known to exist in Heridan, as well. Etymology The general concensus is that Serntal was named after Lady Sern, the queen of Darn Grabul, the second of the Four Dwarf Lords. Sern's courage in the Battle of Mt. Barra made a legend of her to the point that Gabrul divorced his two other wives, which lends credence to this claim. The other belief, though not nearly so popular, is that Serntal is derived from an ancient form of Dwarvish called Rock Speech. "Serntal" translates from Rock Speech as "Great injury", which may be an ode to the Karkens, which are also known as the Cleft, or as the Wound to people in the Talvian Empire. Geographic Regions Karken Mountains/ The Wound (or Cleft) The Karken Mountains separate the vast western wilderness from Eastern Serntal. Home to the people of same name, the Karkens extend for 1,700 miles, reaching nearly to both the northern and southern coasts. The average elevation of the range is 5,300 feet, but the mountains that make up most of the mountain range regularly reach elevations of 11,000 feet in the center of the range. The highest peaks near the edges of the Karkens are 18-22,000 feet high in certain stretches. The Karken region is generally regarded as the birthplace of the dwarves, and to this day dwarves hold the entirety of it in the form of grand semi-subterranean citadels. While there is adequate precipitation, the climate of the Karkens is harsh, and only the hardiest plant life can thrive there. The wilds of the range are home to several tribes of frost Giants, orcs, and other beasts that dwarves are constantly working to keep back from crossing the Wound. Doelle & Greenkeep At the center of the continent lies the region of Doelle. Doelle's climate is mild and cool, with surprisingly heavy precipitation despite the great distance from any oceans or seas. The region is dotted with lakes and rivers, and mountains on three of its four sides ensure that rainfall stays in Doelle. Most of Doelle is a lightly forested plain with foothills near the border of the Karkens. Average rainfall in Doelle is slightly less than that of a rainforest at nearly 200 inches per year. The Greenkeep borders the human-owned kingdoms of Doelle on its south edge, and shares borders with both Gare'el and the Talvian Empire. Doelle and the Greenkeep are assumed to be geologically and ecologically similar, but the Greenkeep is largely uncharted per the Treaty of Wairu from 518. Little else can be said of the Greenkeep from a human or dwarf perspective, except that the human roads that cross through the Greenkeep also separate the various elvish city-states therein. Gare'el The Gare'el mountain range is smaller and milder than the harsh Karkens, and is home to the region's second-largest dwarf population of same name. Gare'el's northern regions can be colder than the Karkens, but the region is somewhat more arable in spite of this. Gare'el has an average elevation of 3,300 feet and peaks reaching 9,000 feet or less constitute 87% of the mountains in the range. Temperatures hover between 30 and 50 degrees Farenheit for eight months of the year in the "habitable zone"; below-freezing days are common. This area is lightly forested along its border with the Greenkeep and largely agricultural along its border with the provinces of Tal. Nadil South of Doelle and beyond the Kariad and Nalin Passes, Nadil is a vast, semiarid expanse of deserts and light forests. The north parts of this country are uninhabitable except to nomadic humans and tough, well-adapted creatures that can stand the lack of moisture. Most of the population, then, lives along the southern coast. The country of Nadil is home to dozens of groupings of tribal humans and what is believed to be the elvish city-state of Moiridan, though these elves are not as likely to come into contact with the other humanoid races due to their extremely far-flung capitol. Nadil also harbors the safest ports by which one can reach the Orange Archipelago and the small island nations that have been founded in those waters; the voyage from Tal is a dangerous one, so cautious traders must cross through the harsh desert to make their fortune. Tal Tal covers the entire southeast of Serntal, and is the larger of the major geographic areas. Tal is mostly expansive plains and rolling hills, lightly forested in places but mostly wide open spaces with occasional, heavy rains year-round. Small mountain ranges segment the countryside, though not so much as to impede travel much. The average temperature in most of Tal is 67, with hot summers and gentle winters. Tal is where humanity settled after learning many of the skills of large-scale civilization from dwarves and elves. The majority of humans (about 60%) live in Tal, and almost the entire region is under human authority. The Tallasian coast is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, as travel by boat is relatively easy to and from there. The Wilderness Little can be said of what lies west of the Karkens. People that pass beyond the Wound do not frequently return, and are often made to live under the supervision of paranoid dwarves for years afterward. Those that have returned give an account of a harsh type of climate punctuated by cities built on the mouths of rivers or the edges of lakes, where little can persist without that water. The wilderness that covers half of the continent of Serntal has not been completely untouched. Various dwarf expeditions have gone into the western wilds to see what lies beyond, but few are privy to a dwarf's insights. In 722, however, the Brellin Library formed an expedition with the help of the Repository to survey the wilds and return with their findings. Over 100 men left for the wilds, but if anyone returned, the Library has not disclosed it or their expedition notes. Heridan Heridan is the continent from which elves hail. It is considerably smaller than Serntal, and non-elves are rarely allowed past the trade town of Aueria. Beyond this, virtually nothing has been disclosed to the public, though the Tallas-til Repsitory has rumoured dealings with at least someone on Heridan.